Hotel berhampiran Tasik Mengkuang

Tasik Mengkuang is a lake in Malaysia that is served as a dam. It is known better as the Mengkuang Dam. Located in Seberang Perai of Penang mainland, this is the second dam built in the state. It is also the biggest dam in the state of Penang. The construction of the dam started in 1982 and by the end of 1985, it was officially opened by the then-Governor, Dr Tun Awang bin Hassan. The gross capacity is 23.6 billion litres, almost ten times the capacity of Ayer Itam Dam. It is opened to the public for recreation especially for water-based sports. It is also the venue for the annual Penang International Dragon Boat Festival.

How to Get There

By Car

Driving to the Mengkuang Dam will take somewhere around forty up to sixty minutes for the 37 kilometres from George Town as the traffic might quite pack in several areas leading to the mainland.

By Bus

Daily buses from Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth, starting at a cheap price of RM 34.10 per one-way with an estimated duration of five hours.

By Plane

Penang has its own international airport, located in Bayan Lepas. It receives flights domestically from some of the major cities in Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu among others. Internationally, there are flights coming in from Singapore, Indonesia and several other neighbouring countries and sometimes, there are flights from South Korea.

Tourist Attractions

Penang Bird Park

It is just twenty minutes away from Mengkuang Dam. Penang Bird Park is the largest bird park in the country and it was established in 1988 with a price tag of RM 1.2 million. There are over 300 species of birds, with 150 of them are locally obtained. The birds ranging from kingfishers to those tiny exotic sunbirds and huge, eight feet-tall ostriches. The Penang Bird Park covers an area of five acres, beautifully designed landscape and the park is divided into two walk-in aviaries and two geodesic-domed enclosures to mimic the birds’ natural habitats. It also gives the birds free-roaming spaces especially for the pelicans, flamingos and such. Apart from the birds, the park is also a home to several species of deer, crocodiles, pythons, and turtles among others. Penang Bird Park opens every day from nine am until seven pm.

Nine Emperor Gods Temple

This is one of the largest temples in Butterworth, Penang. The temple is dedicated to the Nine Emperor Gods of Taoist, hence the name. The temple started out from a small shed on a rented plot in 1971 and throughout the years, the temple had gone through several upgrades and renovations, completing the construction in the year 2000, with a price tag of RM 7 million. The Nine Emperor Gods are no longer popular in the southern provinces of China but there are still a small group of people who pay homage to three deities in Penang. During the annual Nine Emperor Gods festival which falls on the eve of the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, the temple will be at its busiest. It is said during this day; the spirits of the Nine Emperor Gods descend from the stars to Earth. The celebration lasts for nine days, and during these time, the devotees are dressed in white, carrying incense and candles while waiting for the nine Gods. There are stalls selling vegetarian foods during the celebration as the devotees are vegetarians during the festival. The Nine Emperor Gods Temple opens daily, from 7 am to 9 pm and it is just twenty-five minutes away from the Mengkuang Dam.

Hotel

Urban Inn, Kulim

This is one of the recommended accommodation nearby the Mengkuang Dam. The Urban Inn offers three types of room, with the price starting from RM 89 up to RM 124 per night. All of their rooms have a complimentary Wi-Fi connection. Despite the rather inexpensive price, the hotel still gives out their best with a spacious and clean room with superb showers. The hotel is located just ten kilometres from the Mengkugan Dam.